(HealthDay News) -- Add another benefit to eating right: A highly nutritious diet can do wonders for your ticker, a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association finds.

People with heart failure who lacked seven or more micronutrients had about double the risk of dying or being hospitalized than those who had fewer deficiencies or none, the University of Kentucky researchers found.

The study authors stressed the importance of variety in the diet, as well as the inclusion of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes.